SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs - Lecture Notes

Jul 12, 2024

SEO Fundamentals Course by Ahrefs - Lecture by Sam Oh

Introduction

  • Instructor: Sam Oh
  • Course Title: SEO Fundamentals by Ahrefs
  • Focus: Fundamentals of SEO with emphasis on execution
  • Audience: Beginners, but useful even for larger businesses
  • Impact: Ahrefs site receives over a million monthly visits from Google
  • Course Structure: Four Modules + Introductory Video
    • SEO 101 (This Video): Basics of SEO
    • Module 1: Keyword Research
    • Module 2: On-Page SEO
    • Module 3: Link Building
    • Module 4: Technical SEO

SEO Basics

What is SEO?

  • SEO Definition: Search Engine Optimization - optimizing content for discovery via search engine's organic results.
  • Analogy: Search engines as libraries storing copies of websites/pages.
  • Function: Helps demonstrate relevancy to search engines for user's queries.

Importance of SEO

  1. Cost: Unlike ads, search traffic is free.
  2. Consistency: Organic traffic generally remains steady over time.
  3. Reach: Access to massive audiences.
    • Stats: 4.39 billion internet users, almost 4 billion are Google users.

How Google Works

  1. Crawling: Spiders gather public info from the web.
    • Starting Point: Known URLs called seeds.
    • Process: Follow hyperlinks to discover new pages.
  2. Indexing: Adding crawled data to Google's search index.
  3. Ranking Algorithm: Hundreds of ranking signals, frequent updates.
    • Factors: Backlinks, Search Intent, Content Depth.

Key SEO Concepts

Backlinks

  • Definition: Links from one page/site to another.
  • Importance: Indicator of trust and relevance.
  • Analogy: Backlinks as votes.
  • Studies: Positive correlation between backlinks and search traffic.

Search Intent

  • Definition: Reason behind a searcher's query.
  • Tips: Look at top-ranking pages for query insights.

Content Depth

  • SEO Tech: Algorithms understanding content to a certain degree.
  • Job: Provide context and in-depth coverage to answer queries.
  • Example: Topic length varies based on query complexity.

Keyword Research Module

Importance of Keywords

  • Definition: Words/phrases people type into search engines.
  • Role: Sets foundation for SEO; helps rank pages for targeted searches.
  • Case Study: Ranking for 'SEO checklist' drives significant traffic.

Choosing Keywords

  1. Search Demand: Volume of monthly searches (measurable via search volume).
  2. Traffic Potential: Total potential search traffic for a keyword.
  3. Business Potential: Relevance and value to the business.
  4. Searcher Intent: Ensure keyword aligns with what users are looking for.
  5. Ranking Difficulty: Assess competition levels for the keyword.

Search Intent

  • 3 Cs of Search Intent:
    • Content Type: Categories e.g., blog posts, videos, etc.
    • Content Format: Structure of the content, e.g., how-tos, listicles.
    • Content Angle: Hook or unique value proposition.

Generating Keywords

  • Tools: Keyword research tools like Ahrefs Keywords Explorer.
  • Process: Use seed keywords and tools to generate keyword ideas.
  • Modifiers: Enhance keywords by adding specific terms e.g., best, how, etc.
  • Competitor Analysis: Identify top keywords driving traffic to competitors.

Assessing Ranking Difficulty

  • Factors: Search intent, authority metrics, and topical authority.
  • Checklist Questions: Match search intent, backlinks, authority comparison.

On-Page SEO Module

Definition

  • On-Page SEO: Practice of optimizing web pages to rank higher.
  • Includes: Titles, meta descriptions, HTML tags.

Common Misconceptions

  1. Keyword Stuffing: No longer effective; Google understands context.
  2. Frequency: No set number of keyword uses needed.
  3. Word Count: Not always better; depends on the topic's need.

Optimizing Content

  • Main Goal: Satisfy searcher intent.
  • Competitor Research: Look at top-ranking pages for subtopics and structure.
  • Technical Aspects: Titles, URLs, meta descriptions, internal linking, image optimization.

Link Building Module

What is Link Building?

  • Definition: Process of getting other websites to link to yours.
  • Importance: Backlinks are a significant ranking signal.
  • Key Elements: Relationships, relevancy, value exchange.

Link Building Strategies

  1. Creating Backlinks: Add links manually (e.g., directories, comments).
  2. Buying Backlinks: Paying for links (risky and against guidelines).
  3. Earning Backlinks: Through outreach, being a source, or organically.
    • Outreach: Emailing webmasters for links.
    • Organic Links: Earned by being cited naturally.
    • Quality: The tougher to get, the higher the value.

Attributes of Good Backlinks

  1. Relevance: Thematically related links are more valuable.
  2. Authority: Links from authoritative sites carry more weight.
  3. Anchor Text: Descriptive text helps convey content relevance.
  4. Link Placement: Contextually placed links within content.
  5. Followed Links: Generally more valuable, although hints can sometimes pass value.

Outreach Tips

  • Best Practices: Personalize emails, build relationships, offer genuine value.
  • Example Tactics: HARO for PR, guest posting, skyscraper technique.

Technical SEO Module

Importance

  • Role: Ensures search engines can find, understand, and index pages.
  • Foundational Elements: No index tags, robots.txt, sitemaps, redirects, canonical tags.

Best Practices

  1. Site Structure: Logical hierarchy and good internal linking.
  2. Page Speed: Fast loading speeds enhance user experience and SEO.
  3. Regular Audits: Identify and fix technical SEO issues.
  • Audit Tool: Ahrefs Site Audit (free account available).